Ice upending machine



Aug. 29, 1950 D. P. NoRRls ICE UPENDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l FiledNov. 3, 1947 mlvv,

r .m I o l. l f f f f v David R Nor W y 2W rIII Aug. 29, 1950 D. P.NoRRls 2,520,253

ICE UPENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. s.4 .1947 x ssheets-sheet 2 InventorAug. 29, 1950' D. P. NCRRIS 2,520,253

ICE UPENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Davia' R Norrisana/Wwe# Hmm Patented Aug. 29, 1950 ICE UPENDING MACHINE David P.Norris, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor of fty per cent to Shippers IceCompany, Phoenix, Ariz., a corporation of Arizona Application November3, 1947, Serial No. 783,765

' (c1. iss-33) 10 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in icehandling equipment and more particularly to a device for changing theposition of a block of ice that is being conveyed to a delivery pointfrom a position resting on one edge to a position resting on one end ofthe block of ice.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device for upendinga block of ice without requiring the aid of manual labor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will automatically upend a block of ice withoutinterrupting its movement while being conveyed from a storage room to aplace of delivery, and without resulting in chipping of the ice.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus of this character ofsimple and practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable inoperation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise welladapted ior the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional v1ew;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view showing the bucket in a raisedposition for upending the block of ice;

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sectional views taken respectively onthe lines 5, 5-5 and '1 -'I of Figure 2; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View of one of the ice feedinglugs carried by the chain.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose ofillustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numerals 5 and 6 designate a pair of channel members supported in anedgewise position at the opposite sides of a conveyor chain 'I toprovide a passageway through which blocks of ice 8 are fed by the chain.At the front end of the passageway is a ramp 9 which includes a pair ofside walls IIJ and an inwardly projecting flange Il at their lower edgesand on which the block of ice is adapted to travel by means of a pushercleatl I2 formed as a part of one of the links of the chain. The flangesII are inclined upwardly toward their rear ends to move thev block ofice in an upwardly inclined position.

A bucket I3 of U-shaped construction in cross section is positioned inthe passageway at the rear end of the ramp 9, the bucket being providedwith trunnions I4 at its opposite side adjacent its front end and towhich one end of a pair of arms I5 is pivotally attached. The arms I5extend forwardly from the bucket in a downwardly inclined position andare pivoted at their front ends on the rounded ends I6 of a cross barI'I disposed in the path of movement of the cleat I2. The rounded endsI6 of the cross bar are slidably carried in longitudinally extendingslots I 8 in the chanel members 5 and 6, the slots being inclinedupwardly toward their rear ends.

At rear lower end thereof the bucket I3 is provided on its sides withtrunnions I9 pivoted in vertical slots 20 in the lower sides of thechannel members 5 and 6 to provide for an upward swinging or raisingmovement of the front end of the bucket.

The sides of the bucket I3 project rearwardly at their rear ends beyondthe rear edge of the bottom thereof and the bottom of the bucket is heldin a rearwardly and downwardly inclined position by the arms I5 andcross bar I'I when engaged in the front end of the slots I8. The frontedge of the bottom of the bucket is formed with a downwardly inclinedlip 2| disposed in the plane of the iianges II of the ramp at the upperends of said lianges.

A pair of shoes constituting a check device designated generally at 22include substantially triangular shaped plates 23 and are provided withtrunnions 24 at their lower` rear edges which are pivoted in the sidesof the channel members 5 and 6. The front edges of the plates 23 overlapthe sides of the bucket I3 at the rear edges of the latter. The rearupper edge of the plates 23 are formed with inwardly projecting flanges25.

An arm 26 is secured to the outer end of each of the trunnions 24 andextend upwardly therefrom on the outside of the adjacent channel and tothe upper end of which is pivoted a yoke 2l slidably mounted on alongitudinally extending rod 28 and held in a forward position by a coilspring 29 mounted on the rod. The rear end oi the rod is pivoted to apin 3i! carried byone of the channel members of the passage.

In the operation of the device, as the block of ice 8 is moved forwardby the conveyor chain 'I the block enters the ramp 9 at the front end ofthe passage formed by the channels 5 and E, the ice being moved upwardlyon the anges ll of the ramp by the pusher cleat I2 carried by the chainas shown by the full lines in Figure 3 of the drawings.

When the block of ice slides upwardly past its center the front end ofthe block will be tilted downwardly as shown by the dotted .lines inFgure 3 whereupon the rear end of the block will be disengaged from thecleat I2 and a continued movement of the cleat will then engage thecross bar II which is then moved forwardly in the slots I8 to raise thearms I5 upwardly and thus tilt the front end of the bucket I3 upwardlywith the block of ice 8 positioned therein as shown in Figure 4. of thedrawings. The front end of the block of ice then moves against the anges25 of the shoes 22 which are likewise tilted downwardly by 3 the weightof the block so that the block will then rest in an upright .position onits end.

After the block of ice has been upended into the position shown by thedotted lines in Figure 4, the block is again picked up by the cleat 12'of the chain to continue the forward movement `of the block out of thepassageway to itsA point of delivery.

The spring 29 returns the shoes 22 to their normal position and theflanges 25 engage the rear edges of bucket I3 to swing the bucketdownwardly ready to receive the next block of ice.

When the cleat l2 enters the guide passage' formed by tne side plates Eand 8 without feeding a block of ice thereto, the cleat will ride underthe sloping bottom of bucket I3 to raise the rear end thereof suicientlyfor the cleat'to pass under the bucket, without interfering with themovement of the cleat, thel slots 2U permitting the vertical movementof. the trunnons 19 at the 'rear end o-i the bucket.

In View 'of the foregoing description Itafl'ien in con-junction with theaccompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of theconstruction, operation and advantagesofthe device will be quiteapparent tothose skilledin this art. A more detailed description -isaccordingly'deemed unnecessary. l Y

It is to be understood, however,. that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment oi the invention the same issusceptible to certain ch'anf'ges` fuliy comprcmended bythe spirit ofthe invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, v iat is ciaiined as new is: .Y i

l. An ice upending device comprising in com bination a conveyor chainhaving Va conveyor cleat for engaging and sliding a block of icejanldmeans in the path of movement ci the block tilting the block into anupended position, said means including a 'pivot-ed member operated bysaid cleat.

2'. An ice upen'ding device comprising in 'conibination a 'conveyorchain having a rcoiiveyor cleat for engaging and slicing a broc" ice,and means in the path 'of nioveinent 'of t ey block tilting' the bloei;into 'ari upeiided position., said means' including' a pivotedchannebshaped bucket 'operated by said cleat.

3. An ice upending device comprising 'co`mlai-nation a conveyor chainhaving a conveyor cleat for engaging 'and sliding a block of ice, and.means in theV path of movement of the block tilt; ing thev block into anupended position, said-means including a rampfor elevating one end oithe block into an off-balanced position and subsequently lowering theelevated end, a bucket receiving the lowered end of the block pivotallymounted for swinginglto elevate the other end of the block, and meansfor swinging the bucket operated by said cleat.

4. An ice upendingdevice comprising in combination aconveyor chainhaving a conveyor cleat for engaging and sliding ablock of ice, andmeans in the path of movement of the block for upending the block by arocking motion imparted thereto, said means including a stationarymember for sliding of the block thereon into off-balanced position tolower the front end thereof, and a pivotally mounted member forreceiving the block lowered end foremost and subsequently raising therear end of the block.

5. An ice upending device comprising in combination a conveyor chainyhaving a conveyor cleat for engaging and sliding a block of ice, andmeans in the path of movement of the'block for upending the block by a,rocking motion imparted thereto, said means including a stationarymember for sliding of the block thereon into orf-balanced position tolower the front end thereof, and a member for receiving said blocklowered end foremost andy operative for subsequently raising the rearend 0f the block, said last named member being operated by said cleat.

6. An ice upending device comprising in combination a conveyor chainhaving a conveyor cleat for engaging and sliding a block of ice, andmeans in the path of movement of the block for upending the block by arocking motion imparted thereto, said means including a stationarymember for sliding of said block thereon into o-balanced position tolower the front end thereof, and a pivotally mounted member forreceiving the block lowered'end foremost and operative for subsequentlyraising the rear end of the block, said last named member being operatedby said cleat.

7. An ice upending device comprising in combination a conveyor chainhaving a conveyor cleat, and means in the path of a block of ice inmotion by the cleat for upending the block, said means comprising apivotally actuated member onto which the block is moved and released bythe cleat, and said pivotally actuated member being actuated by acontinued movement of the cleat.

8. An ice upending device comprising in combination a conveyor chainhaving 2, conveyor cleat, and means in the. path of a block of ice inmotion by the cleat for unending. the blocky said means comprising apivotal'ly actuated member onto which ythe block is moved and releasedby the cleat, a lifting armv connected. at one end to the member, and across bar at the other-end of said arm and in the-path of subsequentmovement ofthe cleatfor actuating the member.

9. An ice upending device comprising in comi bination, a conveyor for ablock. of ice and including a conveyor chain, a tiltable memberreceiving and tilting the block upwardly over said chain with one endlowermost, and a check device engageable by the lowermost end. of theAblock to ease said block downwardly onto said chain, said check devicecomprising a pair of pivoed shoes upon opposite. sides of 'said chain,and spring means retarding lowering movement of the shoes when engagedby said end of the block and acting on the shoes to return the shoes totheir normal raised position.

10. In an ice upending device, a conveyor chain 'for a block of ice andhaving a, cleat thereon, a member pivotally mounted over said chain forrockingv upwardly to tilt the block of ice into upen'cled position andoperative by said cleat, said member being vertically movable bodily bysaid cleat to provide for passage of the cleat under the member.

DAVID P. NORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The rfollowing references are of recordin the le ofthis patent:

UNITED vSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,366,933 Pilley Feb. 1, 19211,623,393 Dicely Apr. 5, 1927 1,859,486 Aimes May 24, 1832 1,859,501Durbin May 24, 1932 r1,869,477 Haul: Aug. 2, 1932 2,238,764 Wolf Apr.15, 1941

